Broken Wings (Sequel to Strong Silence)
by Rudiye
Summary: Continuing saga of Strong Silence. They rescued Miranda and her child but can they get her the help she needs?
1. Back to Business

Broken Wings - I  
  
Renfro set her folder to the side and looked at the four men around the table. Four different nationalities and over three decades were represented at this table. Personally, she couldn't stand any of them. Huang, a Colonel in Chinese black ops, was impressed by his own power. Brandt was a German intelligence officer who spent more time smuggling drugs that he did on intelligence gathering. Diasio was an Italian geneticist who had a taste for bottled libations. Last, but not least, was Portillo, a self-proclaimed Latin American revolutionary whose faction was waiting for an opportunity to seize the current government, when their leader was not chasing women. She might not have any respect for these men but she respected the powers they represented. As long as they financed and supported her project, she could play their petty games.   
  
"Gentlemen. Welcome to New Mexico. I have asked to meet today to discuss the future of our project."  
  
Brandt interrupted her, as usual, "Fraulein, has there been progress? It has been over two years."  
  
She cringed inwardly at his patronizing tone. Some men would never be accustomed to having a woman as their equal or superior.   
  
"Si signora," continue Diasio, "You tell us three year ago that you have a special project that will change our countries. Then, there is a problem, this...che cosa è il suo nome?"  
  
"Lydecker." Finished Renfro.  
  
"Yes, Lydecker." Said Portillo. "He steal the child, no?"  
  
"Colonel Lydecker is no longer with us and yes, we have reason to suspect that he was involved in the disappearance of the child."  
  
"Then there is no project left in which we can contribute." Finished Huang.  
  
"There is no point..."  
  
"My government will not waste it's money..."  
  
"We should have a prototype by now..."  
  
"It is too late..."  
  
Their voices all blended together. Why did people insist on panicking and talking on top of one another? It really had no purpose besides being annoying, foolish, and wasting time. Wasting time irritated her. She let them talk anxiously for a few moments among themselves, feeding off on one another's fear as she went to a side table and poured herself a glass of water. They were grating on her nerves but she knew that she had to bide her time...just string them along long enough to get the project off of the ground.  
  
Holding up a hand, she interrupted them. "Gentlemen, please. Let me explain. Losing Colonel Lydecker and the child, although a disappointing loss, is not the end of the project. You see, there is one thing that Colonel Lydecker did not know. Breeder Tx-0214 did us a great service while she was here." For the moment, she had their attention. She relished the feeling of control as she savored the next three words. "She had twins."  
  
The shock on the faces around the room made her smirk. They were so easy to impress.   
  
None of them seemed capable of uttering a complete sentence.   
  
"Why..."  
  
"That..."  
  
"When..."  
  
Renfro shook her head. "I haven't mentioned it earlier because we wanted to monitor and train the child to see if we had a Tx candidate."   
  
Silence.  
  
"I am pleased to report that Tx-1256 is in training as we speak. He is two and a half years old and quite surpassing our expectations."  
  
"When do we see him?" Huang asked.  
  
"Soon." She replied. "But there are a few details that we need to discuss first."  
  
Finally, she had what she had hoped for...their undivided attention. Smoothing out the jacket of her tailored dark plum suit, she sat back down in her chair and reveled in the feeling of utter control that she had over these men. They had lost their smug attitudes and they were looking to her for guidance...exactly how things should be. Now, she could get back to business.  
  



	2. A Visit from Old Friends

Broken Wings - II  
  
"Max, pacing won't make them get here any sooner."  
  
She hadn't realized that she was pacing until Logan mentioned it. Sure enough, she had been pacing back and forth in front of the window for, she looked at her watch, twenty minutes. "I wish they would get here already."  
  
Logan wheeled over and placed his hand on the small of her back. "I know you are anxious to see Cassi but it is ten minutes of seven. They won't be here for another ten to fifteen minutes at least. Pacing isn't accomplishing anything except making me nervous."  
  
Max grinned at him and put her hands on her hips. "Why Logan. You? Nervous?"  
He looked at her with his steel blue eyes and a deadpan expression on his face.   
  
"Well, I wasn't until you started pacing."  
  
Sighing, Max flopped onto the couch. "I know. It has been forever since I've seen them."  
  
"What is that? Max time? Seven months equals forever?" He smirked at her.  
  
"I guess patience isn't one of my strengths."  
  
"You could say that."  
  
"Do you really want to start this?"  
  
He seemed to ponder it. "No, I seem to recall that the last argument like this ended up with me washing pasta sauce out of my hair."  
  
Max smiled at the recollection. "It was a good color on you." She laughed. "I did get you good that time, didn't I?"  
  
"Yes, you did. Speaking of pasta sauce, I should go check on dinner."  
  
Max followed him into the kitchen. "Is this one of the recipes Amaliya gave you?"  
  
"No. Actually it is one I found in a book of my mother's. I figure that Amaliya gets enough of her own cooking at the resort."  
  
"Did they mention how things are going over there?"  
  
"Seems like business is booming."  
  
"Never underestimate the spending of the rich."  
  
"Or the corrupt." Added Logan. He thought back to when they had met Greg and Amaliya. Who knew that they were a lost part of his Informant Net? Who knew that they would once again be one of his best resources?   
  
After they rescued Miranda, it had been decided that it would be in the best interest of the family to relocate. So, with the help of Eyes Only, Edward and Jean Proust moved to Denver, Colorado with their seven year old daughter Melissa, their older daughter Natalie, and their granddaughter Anita, Nita for short. In Denver, with a few favors called in, they opened a restaurant/resort in the global hub.  
  
The pulse had succeeded in dividing the country irreconcilably. The majority was absolutely destitute as the minority had the power, influence, and cashed in on the misfortune of the others. Denver, always known for its ski country was now the spot for anyone who was anyone whether it be in politics, sports, business, or other areas. Denver became an international hot spot. Le Village was a prestigious resort, which catered to people from all over the world. It was the ideal location for two Eyes Only informants to lay low and keep their eyes open. That was exactly what the "Proust" family did. Together, the family ran the resort and, with the help of a few Eyes Only surveillance units, kept an eye on their international clientele. They kept in touch with Logan both for personal and professional reasons. Greg and Amaliya would never forget what Logan and Max had done for them. For the family, it was a new beginning. For Eye's Only, it was the greatest single resource at his disposal.  
  
The sound of the doorbell broke through their thoughts. Before Logan could get half way through the room, Max was at the door and swinging it open. As Max greeted them, a blonde streak came through the door and almost knocked her over. Arms were thrown around her waist as words tumbled out.   
  
"Maxie, I'm so glad to see you. It's been so long. Momma and Dad said that you would be here but I couldn't wait. I've been thinking about you all week and then I couldn't sleep and Momma told me that if I didn't sleep, we couldn't come so I had to try and sleep. The week seemed like forever. Then, Nita got sick. We didn't think we could come. Then, we could. Then, it was going to snow. I was so depressed then we could come then the toilet broke and..."  
  
"Cassi, take a breath. You're here now and we have all night to talk." Looking at the three adults standing in the doorway, Max laughed. She put her hands under Cassi's arms and swung her out of the doorway. "Why don't you come in."  
  
Leading them into the living room, Max breathed a sigh of relief. They were here at last.  
  
  



	3. Abnormalities

Broken Wings - III-  
  
"Click...Clack...Click...Clack..."  
  
Renfro ignored the sound of her heels on the tile as she focused on the door ahead of her. Pushing her way through, she entered the elaborately decorated gray/blue room. The room had short grayish carpet with a few functional yet comfortable chairs all facing one direction. Covered by a one-way mirror, the wall that the chairs faced looked into the medical room on the other side. Usually, this is where she would bring potential or current backers to give them demonstrations or updates. Today, she was alone. She didn't want anyone else witnessing this meeting.  
  
Another door opened and a male Asian doctor in his mid to late forties came in. Renfro extended her hand in greeting.  
  
"Doctor, it is a pleasure to finally meet you."  
  
The Doctor nodded as Renfro motioned to the chairs.  
  
"Please have a seat. As you know, we have asked you here because we have heard that you are the best in the field of audiology. Your research and tests have been extensive and ground breaking to say the least. We hope that you will be able to aid us with our...small problem. I have your report but why don't you give me a summary of what you have learned."  
  
"The child's condition is a very unusual one. It is hard to say what has caused it."  
  
Renfro nodded. The Doctor continued.  
  
"From the information that you gave me, I assume that the child has an extraordinarily high level of frontal lobe activity that has been increasing from birth."  
  
Again, she nodded.  
  
"This has been another area in which I have done some study. The frontal lobe usually develops from the age of six months to twenty years. It develops gradually in small intervals and influences various abilities as I have outlined in my report. Since this child has accelerated development in this area, it is possible that other areas of his body have been neglected as the body focuses on this one area."  
  
"So, how would this cause a hearing loss?"  
  
"It is possible that the part of the ear called the cochlea has been partially ossified, or hardened which results in the hearing loss. As the body is putting all of its resources into the frontal lobe, it is drawing them away from the cochlea."  
  
"What are our options?"  
  
"The best option that I can see would be a cochlear implant. There has been much progress in this area over the past twenty years. The first part of the process would involve the insertion of the Implant permanently into the bone behind the ear. An electrode array would be inserted into the cochlea itself and there would be a reference electrode on the outside of the skin behind his ear."  
  
"How noticeable would this be?"  
  
"In the late twentieth century, it would have been a few inches long and rather noticeable. Now, with sufficient resources, it is possible to make one so thin that it can be concealed in a "skin patch" and no one will ever know."  
  
"And the operation?"  
  
"Less than two hours with a 99.89% cumulative survival rate."  
  
"What happens after the operation?  
  
"Considering that the boy already speaks, not too much. You will need to arrange some speech therapy to adapt him to the difference of the sounds as affected by the implant. Other than that, there should be nothing unusual."  
  
"When can you start?"  
  
"You are sure about this? I have listed the fees involved both for the implant and my services."  
  
"Secrecy is of the utmost importance on this project."  
  
"My Hippocratic Oath prevents me from divulging anything about this patient to anyone including my own family.  
  
"Good. See that it does. You will stay with us until I am satisfied with the results of this procedure."  
  
"There are some things that I must take care of..."  
  
"Doctor, this is your priority now. You see to it that this operation is a success and that fee schedule you have outlined will be doubled."  
  
"And if the operation fails?"  
  
Renfro looked at him with steely eyes. "See that it doesn't." With that, she turned to exit the room leaving the Doctor staring after her.  
  



	4. Blue in the Face

Broken Wings - IV -  
  
It was after dinner, the small band of people had moved into the another room of Logan's apartment. Max sat on the sofa with Cassi situated on her lap...talking non-stop. Greg and Amaliya were behind Logan who sat at his computer, processing the latest information for Eyes Only. In the corner, Miranda was kneeling on the floor next to Nita who lay on a blanket. The young girl, not quite three years old, was something else to watch. Miranda was rubbing the girl's back and humming softly. Max looked at Cassi and brushed a hair out of her face. Miranda hadn't changed even if Cassi had.  
  
Max remembered the first time that she had heard Cassi speak, really speak. It had been quite a shock. The first alert they had had of a change was when she asked for her, Max, by name. The week after Miranda's rescue was when the true transformation occurred. She started sleeping more and more at night and interacting with the others. According to Greg and Amaliya, Cassi had been talkative when she was younger. When she became more withdrawn, they had thought that it was probably the effects of moving, losing her sister, and growing up. No one had expected what they actually found...a young girl holding a secret of such magnitude that it closed her off from everything else. Occasionally, she would have a rather quiet day, only speaking an hour or two instead of her usual 5 or 6. She still had her gifts and abilities but Greg, Amaliya, and not Miranda, were working with her as to using it in the appropriate situations.  
  
"So, what do you think of Nita?" Max asked Cassi when she could get a word in edgewise.  
  
"My boo?" Cassi replied and then laughed at Max's facial expression.  
  
"I still use some of the words I learned from you and Cindy." She looked at her parents as if hoping they wouldn't hear her. "Momma and Dad like it better when I talk right but it gets boring..."  
  
"Ok." Max whispered. "You make sure you behave yourself with that. Don't need to go getting into trouble."  
  
"Like you?"  
  
"Yeah." Max chuckled. "Like me. You have to set an example for Nita."  
  
Cassi furrowed her brow and sat pondering that for a minute. "Yeah, I suppose. She's a strange little kid, isn't she Maxie?"  
  
("Maxie, are you alright?")  
  
Max shook the thought of Zack from her head. No one had called her Maxie since Zack and she was still unnerved occasionally when Cassi did it. She looked at the girl. It was still a mystery to her what went through the mind of this child.   
  
"You think Nita is strange?" Max asked, regaining herself.  
  
"Well, she isn't like the other babies we see at home. They have trouble crawling, walking and it takes them forever to talk. Nita's been running around like a nut since she was a year old and she talks pretty good, in English anyway..."  
  
Max gave Cassi a playful shove. "Not everyone known four languages by the time they are five."  
  
She giggled. "Parlez vouz francais?"  
  
"Je ne parle pas francais. " Max responded and tickled her.  
  
" Okay, okay... I give up. "  
  
Cassi collapsed on the couch and grew serious.  
  
"I hope she's okay."  
  
"Why? Well, lately she doesn't talk to me like she used to. I think maybe she doesn't like me."  
  
"Yeah, right." Max said.  
  
"No, it's true. She spends more time with her imaginary friend than she does with me."  
  
"Imaginary friend?"  
  
"Yeah. It's really weird. Sometimes she just stares at nothing and starts talking. Kids..."  
  
Max tried to stifle the laughter that was threatening to overcome her. "Come on, old lady. Let's go see Nita."  
  
Half-carrying, half-dragging Cassi, Max made her way over to where Miranda was sitting.  
  
"How are you doing?" She asked Miranda.  
  
"Fine." Miranda responded quietly but from this distance, Max could see signs of fatigue on her face.   
  
"Is everything okay?"  
  
"Yeah. She's just been quiet lately. I get concerned that she will be..." Miranda trailed off before she completed her thought. Her eyes glanced quickly at Cassi. Max took the hint.  
  
"Cassi, why don't you go tell Logan it's time for dessert."  
  
Squealing, she ran off in search of him.  
  
"You're afraid she is withdrawing like Cassi did?" Max finished.  
  
Miranda nodded. "She was never as talkative as Cassi. We knew that she would be different. She is more active physically, and strong. Now she seems fine, but she is quieter."  
  
"Except for her imaginary friend?"  
  
"Cassi told you."  
  
"How did you guess? Does she talk to her often?"  
  
"From what I can tell, it's a him. Not all the time. Then, I will come into the room and say her name and she just zones out."  
  
The crash of a glass shattering on the floor made Max and Miranda jump. They heard the sounds of Amaliya rushing into the kitchen and sobbing apologies from Cassi.  
  
"So much for helping." Max said. Miranda was staring at Nita. "What's up?"  
  
"That's strange. She is usually a very light sleeper."  
  
Max took her finger and touched the child's cheek. Her eyes popped open. Max turned to Miranda. "Ever think of having her hearing checked?"  
  
Miranda shook her head. "I wouldn't know where to go."  
  
Max thought about it and then pulled herself up off of the floor. "Let's go have dessert and talk to Logan. We may know a person who can help."  
  
  



	5. Observation and Preparation

  
Broken Wings - V -  
  
"Five..." Said the voice over an intercom.   
  
It was accompanied by the flashing of a red spotlight and the word five on the wall.  
  
The boy squatted in a defensive stance.  
  
"Four..."  
  
His hands came up to his chest slightly apart and one above the other.  
  
"Three..."  
  
He swiveled his upper body to the left.  
  
"Two..."  
  
His arms blocked as a his left leg swung in a practice kick broke the air.  
  
"One..."  
  
His body came off the ground and his feet connected with the punching bag in front of him.  
  
The lights flashed as the numbers appeared on the wall again, this time in a faster sequence. Once again, the routine was repeated. After a few repetitions, each quicker than the last one, Renfro spoke into a microphone and the bag was replaced by a soldier taking a defensive position.  
  
"Five...Four...Three...Two...One..."  
  
Jun's small body seemed to fly in the air as his foot connected with the man's chest. In response to the kick, the soldier's body soared backwards and tumbled over a chair ten feet away.  
  
Renfro smiled. This boy was the key. They were still working on charting all of his abilities but they were getting closer every day. At the age that most children would be going through their toddler stage, his fighting capabilities already surpassed some adults. She looked at the chart in front of her. His language skills had declined since the hearing loss but they would come back once the implant was in place. What had surprised them was his reading comprehension. He had begun reading a year ago and hadn't stopped since. Once he saw something, he could visualize it and bring it up over and over again. The only problem with this was that they weren't always able to tell what he was visualizing. There were times when he would just stare into space and talk. She made a mental note to have someone look into that aspect of Jun further. There was no way she was going to one thing get in the way of the big picture.  
  
The big picture. She thought about it as she headed to her office. Outside she remained calm at all times but inside she was anxious to get to the new facility. The training grounds, the meeting rooms, and her new office, her dream office away from the squalor of the United States. It had been designed to precise specifications and it would cater to all of her needs. The colors would be plain and crisp to denote her firm and unyielding position on things. Everyone, including the chauvinistic males who were her backers would know whose office it was. They would know who was in charge. It would be her.  
  
Before she could get to that point, she had to make sure things were taken care of over here. There would be no Lydecker-like loose ends to come back and haunt her. She would do things right the first time. That meant that she needed to clean up his mess and get the other TX child. Not only could it be a valuable asset to her, it would be a liability if left out in the open. If the child, a female, was left out there, she would cause attention and questions, and one day, even breed. She did not want to think of that possibility but it was real. In that case, backer's would learn that they did not need Renfro's project and that other avenues were open to them. They must not learn that.  
  
Arriving at her office, she leaned back in her black leather chair and looked around her thoughtfully. The question was, how to find her. What was it that would make her stand out enough to be traceable. She rubbed her hand along the side of her neck thoughtfully. There must be something. Her finger grazed the edge of her ear and her eyes widened in realization. She did not have to find them. They would have to find her. If the geneticists were right, the girl would have a hearing problem too. It would only be a matter of time until they realized it and needed to find a solution. Unfortunately for them, she had the one doctor in her custody that knew what to do.  
  
A sly smile creased her lips as she pressed the intercom button. "Lieutenant Briggs, come in here. We have some work to do."  



	6. A Touchy Prognosis

  
Broken Wings -VI-  
  
Max stared at Sebastian impatiently. "Well, what is it? Was I right?"  
  
Logan gave her a look but it was Sebastian's electronic voice that spoke.  
  
"It seems that something has interfered with her hearing."  
  
"Wow. You figured that out all by yourself?"  
  
"Max!" Logan snapped. He couldn't believe how rude she was being. Sebastian was doing them a favor and all she could do was sit there and spit snide remarks at him.  
  
"It's okay." Came Sebastian's voice. "Max has every right to be concerned. The damage does not seem to be stabilizing but getting worse."  
  
"What does that mean for Nita?" Logan asked.  
  
"There is no way to be sure. If it continues, she will lose her hearing completely but there is no telling if the damage will stop there or continue. Until we know exactly what causes it, she may be in danger."  
  
"What kind of danger?" Max asked.  
  
"It could be anything from loss of certain functions to seizures to death."  
  
Max stared through the glass at the child laying on the table in the room with technicians. She pictured a seizure racking the small body and her blood seemed to freeze in her veins. It was one thing for her to go through it but she would be damned if she stood back and watched while it happened to Nita.  
  
"What can we do?" She asked Sebastian.  
  
"There are only a few doctors in the world with enough expertise in these things. One died in a car accident this morning. I just read the bulletin before you came. The one is the best is from China but he is very difficult to reach. It is rumored that he is involved with some top secret government programs perhaps even black ops."  
  
"You have no idea how to contact him?" Logan asked.  
  
"He does have family but there locations are unknown. Some say they are dead. Others say they are scattered in China and the US, maybe even in the California area. It is all hearsay and speculation."  
  
Logan nodded.  
  
"What are you going to do?" Max asked. She knew that look by now.  
  
"I think it is time to contact see what Eye's Only can dig up on this doctor. If this Doctor does have relatives in the US, we will find them."  
  



	7. Calling All Informants

Broken Wings - VII -   
  
Jhondie  
  
"That was quick work," Eye's Only said. I grinned big at the boss.   
  
"Like you've come to expect anything less from us?" I teased. After almost three years working with him, we were entitled to a little joking around every now and then. Sometimes he was not in the mood and could be a total jerk, but usually he would deal with it. I guess us getting the information he needed in less than a day was putting him in a good mood. Whatever he wanted it for, he really wanted it bad.  
  
"Actually we've known Dr. Bao Lee for a while," Justin interrupted. I glared at him for a second. He smiled sweetly back and tossed another grape in the air, catching it in his mouth and eating it. He was enjoying those grapes way too much. His absolute most favorite fruit there was a rare find at the market, and I think he had to beat off three old ladies to get to them first. Still wasn't an excuse to give away trade secrets, even if it was to our boss. I had wanted to string the boss along for a while and look like we were just too brilliant for words.  
  
"You know him personally?" EO questioned.  
  
"His son was murdered a few years ago," I explained. "We found the killer and made sure he got caught. He umm...offers discreet medical services to us now. You know, things hospitals might question." Yeah, like how come I have a weird blood type. "He knows that we can be trusted and we know that he can."  
  
It's hard to tell expression when you can just see someone's eyes, but you start to learn after a while. EO was very relieved to hear that we had a good relationship with Dr. Lee. What was up with that? Dr. Lee had never been involved in anything weird that I knew of. The weirdest thing that he had done was decide to stay in the US after his son was killed. Actually it wasn't quite so weird; his daughter had gotten married here and had a kid. Guess he would rather be with the grandkids.   
  
"So," Justin said. "What's going on here?" He ate another grape flamboyantly. He was starting to annoy me. Anyways, we knew that EO would probably tell us. It was rare now that he asked us to get some information and not tell us what it was for. I guess there was a weird kind of trust there now. Of course he wouldn't tell us everything, and I wasn't about to show him the back of my neck, so it all evened out.  
  
"It's actually his brother I'm interested in," EO said. He paused, thinking for a minute. "I may be sending an operative to LA. Can you two act as liaison?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"*I* will." We both said it at the same time. Justin glared at me. "You're not going anywhere," he said firmly. Oh was that a challenge? "My Chinese is just as good as yours now," he continued. "You are nowhere near ready to be running around on business."  
  
We could tell the boss was waiting for some kind of explanation. Justin grabbed the camera and aimed it down so that my leg, propped up on another chair and tightly wrapped in a fiberglass cast, was visible. Not this again! EO looked at me, and I swear he had the same arrogant-male, aww poor helpless girl look that Justin kept having. I think Justin liked me being down for a little while. He better not be getting used to it. I heal very quickly, and I don't forget.  
  
"It's just a greenstick fracture," I said. Justin rolled his eyes. Bite me! It wasn't that big of a deal. Not to me.  
  
Justin smirked at the boss's unspoken agreement with him and tossed another grape in the air and ate it. That was it! I snatched the bowl out of his hands. The movement was all below the camera's view so that EO couldn't see how fast I moved. One second Justin was reaching for another grape, and the next the bowl was missing. Ha! He glared at me.  
  
"Hey! Those were mine," he tried to protest. I cradled the bowl and refused to look at him.  
  
"Were is the operative word," I replied sweetly. I then gave him a huge saccharine smile and bit into a grape. Seedless. Yum. "Mmm...mmm...good."  
  
Justin turned back to the camera. "I get my own place and I still can't keep my fruit for myself," he complained. I think EO was trying to keep from laughing at us. I would swear this situation was making him think of personal experience somewhere.  
  
"I'll let you know if I send the operative, and when the flight will arrive," he said.  
  
"I'll be there," Justin said with emphasis on "I". "I'll have a sign that says, umm, Pat Standbrook on it."  
  
"I'll get back to you," EO said, and then was gone. I turned to Justin. Time for a little battle.  
  
Justin  
  
"I am quite capable of greeting someone at the airport," Jhondie said, her eyes dark with anger. "And..."  
  
"And..." I interrupted quickly. "You are hurt. If for some reason we have to do something crazy like dodge a gunman that followed the operative, you're at a big disadvantage."  
  
"My leg is not a big deal!" she insisted. Not a big deal? Yeah right.  
  
"Jhon, love," I said, taking her hand. Damn, she had too good of a grip on the grapes. They were really good. "You can tell everyone you want that it's only a greenstick fracture. But I know better. You're only saying that so people won't wonder how a compound fracture can heal in less than a month." She better stop eating my grapes. I used to think it was just her, but then I met Zack and learned that the genetically engineered tend to consume large amounts of food very quickly.  
  
I knew I was feeling guilty and that's why I was being so over-protective of her. I should never have let her go to San Francisco by herself. I should have gone myself. Hell, the magazine article was going to have my by-line. I should have done it, but she had the skills to get in and out better than I did, and I wanted to do the LA work myself. The stuff in San Francisco was all grunt work, no glamour at all. She got into some major trouble, and if Zack hadn't shown up when he did...she almost got herself killed. I've told her a thousand times no story is worth risking her life over, but I had asked her to get the stuff for me, and she was determined to do it.  
  
They ended up getting away from the bad guys, but got into a bad car accident in the process. Zack was cut up pretty bad, and Jhondie ended up with a very broken leg. The magazine got one hell of a story. The censor board toned it down some, but the evidence gathered still put a shiver into some people. I got the glory. She got a cast. Her leg was healing incredibly fast, but she was still in pain because of me. She was not going to meet this operative. She was going to stay put until Dr. Lee said she was 100% again.  
  
"The cast is supposed to come off in a week," she said. "That's good enough. If I needed to run on it..."  
  
"Then there would be a lot of people wondering what kind of training a girl could possibly have that could let her ignore a broken leg," I finished for her. I had spent too much time with Zack. The word "careless" was starting to come to mind when I thought about Jhondie and hiding her abilities. I smiled charmingly. She had a hard time resisting that. I hoped she would. "And in the week that it's still on you're just going to have to let me wait on you hand and foot."  
  
I leaned over and kissed her. Success! She put the bowl down so that her arms could wrap around my neck. I grabbed the bowl and tried to pull back quickly. She wasn't letting go, and jerked me back to her.  
  
"They're mine now," she said with a smile.  
  
"Uh, huh, and I bet you think I'm taking you to the airport as well," I teased, kissing her nose and chin to distract. Wasn't working all that well. I was distracting myself more.  
  
"You want your grapes back?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I'm going?"  
  
"Hell no!" She got a hand between us and ate another one. Damn! Time for the big guns. I started tickling her. She burst into giggles and somehow managed to keep me from the bowl while fending me off with the other hand.   
  
"No fair!" she gasped between laughs. No fair was her trying to run off like nothing was wrong with her. Ah, hell, keeping her safe was worth a few grapes. They weren't that great anyways.  
  
  



	8. Choosing Seattle

Broken Wings -8-  
  
"I'll get back to you," Logan said, severing the link and shaking his head at the same time. He just didn't know what to think about LA sometimes. When LA first started working for him, he was very tentative and eager to work for Eye's Only. He hadn't said anything to LA at the time but Logan really wasn't thrilled about the idea of him taking on a partner. Being a part of the InformantNet was a risky business. The last thing he needed was for his informants to get careless. All in all, he had to admit, that it had worked out well. This woman, she referred to herself as the LAX part of Eye's Only, had proven to be invaluable. Together, LA and LAX had been able to do more than Logan had ever dreamed.   
  
Now, it turned out that they would be able to help him yet again. He had sent a message out to the members of the InformantNet hoping that one of them would be able to know something about the mysterious Dr. Cheng Lee. It hadn't occurred to him that one of his contacts would already have a connection with the family. He chastised himself silently. It wasn't unusual for sibling to take on similar professions. Why had he been surprised?   
  
So, once again, they had come through for him. They were a little quirky. Were those grapes that he saw flying around? He smirked. At least LA had someone to joke around with. From appearances, he had his hands full. Logan heard the door of Penthouse open and close. Speaking of hands full...  
  
"Hey," Max greeted him with a smile.  
  
"Hey yourself."  
  
"Any word?"  
  
"Actually, I just got done talking to LA and LAX." Max rolled her eyes. Something she did routinely when the duo was mentioned. "Anyway," Logan ignored her. "Turns out that they know the brother, a Dr. Bao Lee. I told them that I would let them know when I send the operative. LA will be at the airport. I just have to make the arrangements."  
  
"Why does LA have to be involved?"   
  
"Because this Dr. Lee doesn't trust people very much and he already has a working relationship with him."  
  
"So he says..."  
  
"Why should I doubt him? He is one of my most reliable contacts."  
  
Max shrugged. "I just wonder if some of these people aren't just wanting to get involved with Eye's Only to make a name for themselves. If he smells a big deal, of course he wants to get involved."  
  
"Max..." He began but thought better of it. "Nevermind. Let's just drop it."  
  
"Fine."  
  
"LA will be at the airport."  
  
"Great." She flashed a half-smile. "When do I leave?"  
  
"Actually, I was going to send Greg."  
  
"What?!" Max stared at him in disbelief. "Why would you send Greg?"  
  
"Well. He is already one of my operatives and he knows the case personally. Plus, he can speak Chinese."  
  
"I can speak Chinese...and I know the case personally...and I AM GOING!" She turned her back on him and started going out of the room.  
  
Logan sighed. "Max, who knows what this Doctor is involved with. You have enough with Lydecker looking for you around every corner. Don't you think it would be better just to let Greg go?"  
  
"If this Doctor is involved with something, I will be able to handle it better than Greg. No offense, but the man is not exactly trained for these things."  
  
"He helped saved your life."  
  
"No, I was fine by the time he came along."  
  
Logan let it drop. There was no talking to Max once she was defensive.  
  
"You are really set on this?" He asked. Hoping that she would be sensible but knowing that it was highly unlikely.  
  
She came back and stood in front of him, her voice softening a bit.  
  
"Yes, I am. I really feel strong about this one. They are like family to me. I want to do everything I can to get help for Nita." Her warm brown eyes searched his face.  
  
"Please Logan."  
  
He turned back to his computer and his fingers went back and forth over the keys. "There is a flight leaving for LA tomorrow morning. Can you do it?"  
  
Max smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "You betcha."  
  
"What about work?"  
  
"Let Normal have kittens. He wouldn't be Normal if he didn't."  
  
He continued to work at the computer for a minute then turned to her. "Okay, Miss Pat Standbrook, you have a flight 1342 to LA tomorrow at 10:15 a.m."  
  
"Thanks Logan."  
  
"You're welcome." They stayed their staring at each other for a moment. Neither knew what to say.  
  
Max broke away first. "So, do you have anything to eat?"  
  
Logan laughed to himself. That's one thing you couldn't always count on...Max's appetite. "I must have something in the kitchen. Too bad I don't have any grapes."  
  
"Grapes?" Max looked at him with a puzzled look. "Why would you want grapes? They are so gross all small and squishy."  
  
"Well..." He didn't quite know how to explain what he had seen and didn't really want to. Max already had some opinions about LA and he didn't want to add to them.   
  
"Just was in the mood for some."  
  
"Oh, whatever." Max said and hopped on a stool why Logan looked for food.  
  
"Ok LA." Logan thought to yourself. "I hope you know what you are getting into."  
  
  



	9. You Can Never Be Too Careful

I am sorry that it has taken so long for me to get this next part up. As most of you know, this story is a little different from the first one. For those of you who don't know exactly why, let me explain.   
In Part Seven, two new characters were introduced...Justin and Jhondie. These characters are in fact, from Cat Carroll's stories and she has been writing with me. From time to time, you will see her pop up. So, if you have not read her J&J stories, I would suggest checking them out. Also, she is gone for a few weeks so posting on this one will be slow until she is back.   
Thanks for your support and understanding.   
*********************************************  
Broken Wings - IX -   
She turned around in her chair as Briggs entered her office. While standing at attention, he could feel her eyes examining him like small magnifying glasses. They could burn you if you weren't careful.   
"You weren't here yesterday soldier." She tapped her fingers impatiently on the desk, waiting for an explanation.   
"I was sick, sir." He had learned a long time ago that it was best not to call her ma'am.   
"You look fine to me."   
"It was a 24 hour flu, sir."   
She leveled her eyes at him. "The work we do here is to be your utmost priority. We have not time for sickness. Understood?"   
He nodded.   
"Good. Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about more important things." She looked down at the paper in front of her.   
"Lieutenant Cardoza gave me a very interesting report yesterday."   
She didn't wait for a response but walked over to him and waved the report in front of his face.   
"Do you know what this report says?"   
"Yes, sir. I read it this morning when I came in."   
"According to sources and surveillance, who has been seen within a few miles of this facility?"   
"Colonel Lydecker, sir."   
"And who is it that I hid this project from and whom I don't want anywhere around here?" Her voice remained steady and even as she walked back and forth in front of him.   
"Colonel Lydecker, sir."   
"And who will I hold responsible if he interferes in any way with this project?" She was right in front of him. Her eyes connected with his.   
"Me, sir." Came his crisp reply.   
"That is correct. You make sure your security is on alert at all times. Also, we will need to send a team to monitor his movements. I don't expect him to stay still for long. You will bring all reports about him to me. Do you understand?"   
"Yes, sir."   
"There are two last things. The first, make preparations for the boy, the Doctor, and the necessary medical staff to be transported to the China facility."   
"Sir?"   
She sighed impatiently as if explaining things to a toddler. "I don't want anything going wrong with this project. If that means transferring to the new facility earlier than scheduled, so be it."   
"And the second thing?"   
"Make sure we have taps and surveillance on all four of our international friends and their staff."   
"Sir, that will take a lot of manpower."   
She stood directly in front of him.   
"Lieutenant, you don't seem to understand. Colonel Lydecker is getting his information from somewhere. I won't be satisfied until I have that person in front of me."   
"Yes, sir."   
"Dismissed."   
Lieutenant David Briggs left the office and closed the door behind him. Breathing a sigh of relief that the meeting was over, he continued down the hall to begin his given assignments.   
In her office, Renfro pushed a button. A few seconds later, a side door opened and a uniformed woman entered the room.   
"Lieutenant Cardoza, have you taken care of the special assignment I gave you?"   
"Yes, sir. The taps will be in place. Here is the data from this morning."   
"Very good. You are dismissed."   
Heading back to her desk, she flipped through the folder and smiled to herself. You could never be too careful.   
  
  



	10. For the Love of Grapes

Broken Wings -X-  
Justin  
  
I felt like an idiot standing at gate 24 waiting for the flight to unload.  
I couldn't help but wonder if limo drivers felt this stupid holding a sign  
waiting a complete stranger to come up to them. I had no idea what the  
operative looked like. EO had just sent me the flight number and times, but  
he forgot to describe what the guy looked like. It might have been nice to  
know.  
  
Jhondie was furious with me. I had gotten the flight times, and then  
deleted them before she could see a thing. Then I called out the big guns.  
Mrs. Harris had told Jhondie she wasn't leaving the house, and that was  
final. I'm not saying Mrs. Harris is like a lead weight wrapped in silk or  
anything, but even Zack tends to cave before he even knows he's doing it.  
Jhondie's gotten in some practice getting around her mother, but Mrs. Harris  
was still upset about the broken leg, and when she decided Jhondie wasn't  
getting involved with anything else for a while, she was going to make it  
so. I wasn't complaining, but Jhondie had accused me of conspiring with her  
mother (I had) and so she was angry. I was going to have to figure out how  
to calm her down without apologizing. Tricky. But it was going to have to  
wait. Passengers were emerging.  
  
The first two were easy to dismiss. I didn't think EO would send a woman  
with a baby, and the guy was maybe sixteen. Way too young. Hmmm...maybe that  
big guy, no he went over to the blonde that was obviously happy to see him.  
The man in the suit and tie...no, he went directly into the bar. Not going to  
be the family, or the punk-azz looking girl, maybe the man casually dressed  
in jeans...no, he was meeting up with the Asian woman.  
  
"So we standing here all day or what?" a woman asked me. I had been  
watching the passengers and she had snuck up on my left. I glanced over and  
there was the punk-azz, complete with jeans and a leather jacket. Oh God,  
no, there was no way she was an EO operative. She was giving me a snide  
look.  
  
"Seattle?" I questioned. Please let her get the code question wrong. "How'  
s the weather in Seattle?" I asked.  
  
"Score one for LA, she replied. "Always rains in Seattle," she continued,  
giving me the correct answer as she adjusted the shoulder strap on her bag.  
She sounded like a ghetto punk. There had to be more to her than I was  
seeing. EO would not have sent...well, what she seemed to be, on an  
assignment that was this important to him. She looked around. "So where's  
Miss LAX?" she questioned. "I thought you two were like Siamese twins or  
something."  
  
"LAX is down right now," I replied, not sure what to make of her. She  
needed to lose the attitude. Anyways, what was her problem with Jhondie? I  
could tolerate plenty, but I was not going to deal with snide remarks about  
my relationship with Jhondie. If the boss could deal with it, his  
operatives better keep their opinions to themselves. "You got a problem  
with just me?" I asked a little roughly.  
  
She shrugged. "As long as you can get me where I need to go." She looked  
at me expectantly.  
  
"The car is in the garage," I said. She started sauntering off, fully  
expecting me to follow her. There was something about her that reminded me  
a little of Jhondie. It wasn't in looks. Seattle was pretty, but with her  
dark hair and eyes and her complexion, she didn't look anything like  
Jhondie. It was more in the way she walked with that confident stride. It  
was very feline. With Jhondie it made sense. She had the muscular system  
of a cat. With Seattle, it was probably just overconfidence and arrogance.  
I hoped she would drop the attitude before we got to Dr. Lee's.  
  
She didn't have any other luggage than her bag. Good, she wasn't planning  
on staying long. I had thought about introducing her to Jhondie, but  
decided against it. Jhondie would probably smack her or something. We got  
into my car without another word passing between us.  
  
I pulled out onto the freeway and finally decided that I should find out  
what was going on before we got there. Dr. Lee knew we worked for Eye's  
Only and he usually had no problems at all helping us whenever he could.  
When EO was trying to find out what was really going on with the medicine  
that was supposed to be helping with Balkan War Syndrome, Dr. Lee had helped  
us prove the stuff coming to LA was bogus. He had never before been  
mentioned by name. He knew we were coming and that I had no clue what it  
was for. He had said that he would help however he could safely, but that  
he wasn't talking to a stranger. I had no problems being there. I was just  
a little worried that Jhondie might be there as well. She was sneaky enough  
to pull a stunt like that. Nah, Mrs. Harris would have called me.  
  
"What does Eye's Only want with Dr. Lee?" I asked.  
  
"He knows someone Eye's Only needs to contact," she replied vaguely. There  
had to be more to it than that. I was sure EO could find a doctor in  
Seattle if he needed one. She wasn't exactly being communicative. I hoped  
she was going to explain more to Dr. Lee if she really wanted his help. He  
wasn't the trusting sort.  
  
We went directly to his shop and I took Seattle through the backdoor that  
went to the stairs leading to his office. His daughter was working today,  
and I knew she had no clue about Eye's Only, and that Dr. Lee would like to  
keep his family ignorant about some of the less than legal things he had  
done for us.  
  
He was waiting for us in his office. "Dr. Lee," I said in Mandarin Chinese,  
"this is a fellow associate for Eye's Only." I switched to English.  
"Seattle, this is Dr. Lee."  
  
She smiled very sweetly. "Very nice to meet you," she said in Chinese.  
That was going to make this meeting easier. No translating. Then again, I  
couldn't tone down what she had to say. She better keep it professional.  
  
"Please, sit down," Dr. Lee said, gesturing to some chairs. He sat at his  
desk when we sat down. "I have been told that you need my help," he said.  
  
Seattle looked uncomfortable that I was there, but she knew I wasn't  
leaving. If she wanted Dr. Lee's cooperation, she was going to have to deal  
with me. "I'm looking for your brother, Dr. Cheng Lee," she said. "There  
is a very young child in Seattle that needs his help."  
  
Dr. Lee leaned back, his face impassive. "He is a renowned audiologist,"  
Dr. Lee commented, "but why his help in particular? There are many other  
doctors here in America that could help a child with deafness."  
  
"There are some unusual aspects to this case," she replied. There better be  
for Eye's Only to take note of it. Dr. Lee quirked an eyebrow at her and  
waited for her to continue. She wasn't getting help without him knowing  
what he was in for. "We need to know what caused her deafness. There may  
be some other factors involved," she added.  
  
"Other factors?" he questioned. I knew Dr. Lee had been a neurologist in  
China. This would be more of an interest to him than an audiologist.  
  
"This child has had a gradual onset of deafness which may have its root in  
unusual brain activity. We need to find out exactly how this is affecting  
her and what we can do to prevent it," she said. "The child is getting  
worse, and if she doesn't get help soon, she could die."  
  
Dr. Lee looked thoughtful. "What is the cause of the unusual activity?" he  
asked.  
  
"That's what I need to discuss with your brother," she said quickly.  
  
"If I cannot give my brother details," Dr. Lee responded coolly, "he will  
not be interested in coming."  
  
I could see the fire leap into her eyes and quickly stepped in. "Listen," I  
said to her. "All of us are on the same team here. You and I both have the  
same boss, and if he didn't trust both of us, you wouldn't be here now. I  
know I can vouch for Dr. Lee's trustworthiness and discretion." Boy could  
I. He could make a fortune with the blood samples he had gotten from  
Jhondie. One cell of her blood contained the genetic code to make the  
perfect soldier. "You can't expect someone to get their family involved if  
they don't know what's going on."  
  
She thought for a long moment. "She was part of a black ops genetic  
program," she said coldly. "We know your brother was involved with  
something similar in China. A child's life may be in danger. We need his  
help."  
  
Dr. Lee glanced at me, and we both could see a flash of panic in each other.  
Black ops genetics program? That didn't hit close to home. That was in my  
living room watching TV with its feet propped up on the coffee table.  
Manticore. Jhondie. A little girl? Was she the child of an X series?  
Another branch of Manticore maybe? Who the hell was Seattle, and how did  
she know about all this?  
  
Dr. Lee's face became impassive again. "I have not spoken with my brother  
in a few months," he said. My journalistic instinct said he was lying. "He  
has been very busy with a special project, but I will contact him and ask  
him for a consultation. I will get back with you and let you know what he  
says." It was a dismissal.  
  
There was a knock on the door. Dr. Lee's daughter knew not to open his  
office door when it was shut. "Father," she called. "I need you in the  
shop."  
  
"I will be there in a moment," he called back to her.  
  
I stood quickly. "Thank you for your time and your help," I said. "You  
know how to get a hold of me when you can."  
  
Seattle remained seated. "So, that's it?" she snapped. "You'll do your  
best while a child's life may be in danger?" She looked at Dr. Lee and then  
to me. The smile was gone, abject fury in its place. "Thanks for nothing,"  
she snarled, standing up. For a second she looked like she was about to  
attack. In a blur, she brushed past me and through the doors. I followed  
her out quickly.  
  
"He didn't say he wasn't going to help," I reminded her. "He just needs  
to..."  
  
"He was lying," she interrupted, whipping around. Her dark eyes were almost  
crackling with rage. "If he won't help, then I'll just have to find someone  
who will." She spun on her heel and started walking away from the car.  
Another irate female for me to deal with. Thanks boss. I still needed to  
take care of her.  
  
"Where are you going?" I called, jogging to catch up to her.  
  
"You do not want to be around me right now," she warned. She was right  
about that. "I have your cell number. Don't call me, I'll call you." With  
that she continued storming down the street. And I thought Jhondie was good  
at throwing a temper tantrum. Nope, I was most definitely not introducing  
Seattle to Jhondie.  
  
I knew what I was going to do. If Dr. Lee wasn't willing to help then I was  
going to help Seattle out. I thought about Beetle. He was into conspiracy  
theories and loved to research black ops programs. I had dismissed him as a  
loon until about six months ago when he told me how there were these  
genetically engineered soldiers running loose. They had escaped from a  
secret government project. The man had good information from somewhere. He  
was still a loon, but he was a useful loon.  
  
I got into my car and started back to my apartment. I kept replaying the  
interview in my head. I knew I needed to call Dr. Lee. If Seattle decided  
to try and make him talk, then she was going to get hurt. Dr. Lee might not  
look like much, but he was very strong, and well trained in martial arts.  
My cell rang. It was Dr. Lee.  
  
"I apologize for being rude earlier," he said, "but I did not want to tell  
her I knew what she was talking about."  
  
"I understand," I replied. "You haven't called Jhondie have you?"  
  
"No," he answered. Relief. If she knew Manticore was involved, then there  
would be no way of keeping her out of this. There was no way I was letting  
her get involved now. If Seattle knew about Manticore, then she would know  
what the barcode on Jhondie's neck meant.  
  
"I spoke to my brother just yesterday," Dr. Lee said. "I do not wish to  
discuss this over the phone." I got the hint and changed lanes, cutting off  
a lady in an SUV. She honked and extended her middle finger. It was LA,  
she should be used to it.  
  
"I'll be back in a few," I said. Why was nothing simple?  
  



	11. Morning Rituals

Broken Wings - XI -   
  
Miranda woke from her dream with her hand in the air. It was extended, reaching. She didn't know who the boy was in her dream but she had seemed to know him. Reaching her hand to him seemed as natural as it was for her to embrace Nita. She shook her head trying to wake up. The dreams had been with her all of her life but they still shook her. As usual, the questions followed. Who was he? Where was that? When was it? What did it mean? She sighed. Again, she had no idea what the answers were and she wasn't sure if she wanted to. The dreams were helpful in that they gave her an insight into things to come. Unfortunately, they never said specifics. More times that not, the reality of the situation meant turmoil and that her life was going to be effected by the event. She just didn't know if she was ready for her life to be turned upside down, again.  
  
"Come on, Miranda." She told herself. "Don't be so melodramatic." Yes, her dreams had meant a lot of grief in the past but they had brought some good things too. Like Nita. Just the thought of Nita brought a smile to her face. True, it was not the way that she had planned on getting pregnant. True, the situation was a nightmare. In spite of that, she would not trade her daughter for anything in the world.   
  
Thinking of her daughter, Miranda got up to go check on her.   
  
Entering the room, she flicked on the light and saw the toddler bed with the blankets thrown to the side. No Nita. Miranda looked at the clock...4:30 a.m. The girl was not even three years old yet and Miranda already felt like she needed a personal security system for her. Grabbing her robe, she headed out the door. Time to check the usual places.  
  
Two rooms later, her pace was steps became more anxious. The kitchen had been the logical first stop. No matter how many snacks a day the child had, she seemed to be constantly hungry. She wasn't there.  
  
Then, there was Cassi's room. Maybe she went to find her aunt and play. She had done this quite a bit when she was younger but not as much lately. The onset of her quiet moods and seemed to end these visits but Miranda checked just in case. She wasn't there either.  
The next place for her to check was the garden. Nita loved to sit outside on the iron benched and smell the 'lowers. Miranda was becoming uneasy. The further she got from their quarters, the more danger there could be for Nita. She couldn't deceive herself anymore. There were people out there who would pay money and even kill to have her daughter. She had to find her.  
  
As she turned to walk back into the building, she heard a noise from behind the glass doors which led to the Atrium. They called it the Atrium but it was actually a beautiful glass enclosed room that suited many purposes. Some days it was a meeting room, other days it held a brunch. No matter what the scheduled activity, there shouldn't be anyone in there at this time of the morning.   
  
Miranda quietly opened one of the glass doors and peered through the pale green blinds that separated her from whoever else was in the room. She could hear a series of controlled breaths with an echo. Inhale....inhale...Exhale...exhale...Inhale...inhale...Exhale...exhale. When she saw who the breaths were coming from, she smiled.   
  
There was Englishman that she knew only as Clancy. Although he had come onboard a few months earlier as head of security for Le Village, here interaction with him was limited. Usually, he worked with Greg and was in the background of the resort's operations. Still, she should have known that he would be in here. As much of an enigma as he was, the one thing that was common knowledge was that he was an early riser with a strict morning routine. A young couple looking for a quiet place too be alone had found that out the hard way. With a fleeting smile crossing her lips, she turned her attention to Clancy's routine. She didn't want to make her presence known just yet. Composed of a mixture of martial arts and military calisthenics, the routine looked like a forceful ballet. Next to him, Nita was mirroring his movements. Knees bent, torso straight, the two of them had their arms bent at the elbows and pushed their hands through the air, first left, and then right. Miranda was amazed at the stance of her daughter. It was exactly the same. If it weren't such a comical site to see her small frame in that position, she might have been concerned with the precision of her mimicry.  
  
Stepping out of the blinds, she cleared her throat. Clancy stopped mid-air and straightened up.   
  
"Well, hello." With his slight British accent. "I assume that you are here for Anita?"  
  
Miranda tried not to smile at him. Everyone else called her Nita. He was the only one who used her whole name. Still, he was almost a stranger to them and she didn't want to encourage Nita to get any closer to him. It was too dangerous.  
  
"I'm sorry that she bothered you." She walked over and picked up her daughter.  
  
"No bother. She's right bright for such a wee thing."  
  
"Yes, she is quick. Thank you for watching her Mr. Clancy."  
  
He ran a hand over his dark blonde hair which was starting to get long enough to hang down the sides of his head. With a military background, his hair seemed to be one luxury he enjoyed getting back. That and the diamond stud in his ear. "Twasn't a bother Miss Proust. She can join me any time. Why don't you call me Clancy. Everyone else does."  
  
"I am not like everyone else, Mr. Clancy." She said coolly.  
  
"I can see that."  
She rolled her eyes. "Mr. Clancy," She was trying to maintain an air of professional detachment but he was making it increasingly difficult. For a minute, she looked at his brown eyes but thought better of it. (Keep focused Miranda.) "I appreciate you watching my daughter for me but I can handle it from here."  
  
His face cracked in a slight smirk. "Are you sure?"  
  
Her grip on Nita tightened. "Yes, I can take care of my daughter. I suggest that you concern yourself with security matters and leave my family to me."  
  
"If that's how you want it."  
  
"That's how it is."  
  
Hands to his side, he gave a slight bow from the waist and backed away from her. "As you wish. Goodbye Anita," he nodded his head towards Miranda, "Miss Proust."  
  
Taking his towel off of the floor, he threw it over his shoulder and walked out the door leaving Miranda watching him walk away. She looked down at her daughter.   
  
"Okay you...what now?"   
  
Nita reached out, smiled, and touched her on the nose. With a sigh and a laugh, she turned and left the Atrium. You never knew what was next with her. All she could do was hope that the future held good surprises.  



	12. My Way

Broken Wings - XII -   
Max  
  
I finally figured out why I work alone. It was because of people like LA. Trying to get control of my anger, I decided to walk a few blocks. Getting a hold of myself was possible but difficult. The trick was to do something constructive before I became destructive on someone. It was a good thing LA decided not to follow me. I would have been forced to put him in a world of hurt.   
"Get out of my way!" I yelled as someone stopped in front of me. Just one minute with Dr. Lee. One minute was all I need to get rid of this foul mood and get the info I needed. I'd find out the truth. My way would be the easy way. The threat of a little defenestration might just be what the doctor ordered. That would also permanently damage Eye's Only relationship with one of his most valuable and reliable contacts. Not that I was all that impressed with them or anything, but Logan didn't deserve that. He might need these guys in the future. I was going to have to find another way.  
Instead of using my primal instincts and taking care of things my way, I turned to Plan B, the stealth approach. After walking off some of my steam, I approached the building that held Dr. Lee's shop but this time, I would go to the window. Logan didn't have to know all of the details about how I got the information. I contacted LA, I spoke with Dr. Lee, I got the information. Technically, it was all true. What are a few details between friends? He didn't always want to know the details of the things I did to get information anyways.  
Making my way down an alley, I was approaching the fire escape when the car caught my eye. What the...??!! I knew exactly who it belonged to and it didn't improve my mood. LA. I had a good idea of why he was there too. He decided to stay and have a little side-chat with the good doctor. So much for honestly between colleagues.   
With a swift jump, I was on the fire escape ladder, making a list in my head of all the things that I could do to teach LA a lesson. He picked the wrong time to double cross Eye's Only and the wrong girl to lie to. Bingo! Looking in the window, I saw him. There was the moron talking to Dr. Lee.  
"Justin, thank you for coming back (Justin? So that's his name. Good to know.) I did not speak about my brother in front of that woman. There are many people who would like to find my brother and I must be very careful."  
At least he had the decency to call me a woman. Leave it to "Justin", he'd probably use some archaic term like "Chick" or "Babe". You had to give the man credit for looking out for family. I could overlook that. I would do the same thing myself. Maybe he was off the hook, but not "Justin."  
"I understand Dr. Lee. So, you have heard from your brother?"  
Wow! The guy is bright! Did he figure that out all by himself? No wonder he needed a partner. She probably spent most of her time telling him his parking break was on.  
"Yes, I have. He did not go into much detail but I believe he is working on another project as we speak."  
Just what we needed...another secret project. When would these people just leave it alone?  
"Where is he now?"  
"China."  
"China?" Justin echoed my own thoughts. "How do we get in touch with him?"  
I could see Dr. Lee shake his head.  
"I got the impression that it would be his last phone call for a while. What he is working on right now...it is very important."  
"I guess Seattle is just going to have to find someone else then."  
My eyes burned a hole in the window. "Who does he think he is?" My anger getting the better of me, I didn't realize that I was talking aloud, "The hell I will. If you think that I am just going to sit around while a friend of mine wastes away..."  
I felt the hand on my shoulder before I finished. Immediately, I whipped around to a defensive stance, my arm flying at the intruder. Before it could connect, it was caught in the air and a familiar face came closer. Zack? I shouted the name in my mind. It seemed as though the world had stopped. Why do his appearances always have this effect on me? I get trapped somewhere between elation at seeing my brother and dread at the conflicts I know will arise.  
What are you doing here?" The words came from both of our lips at the same time as we stood in silence, both of us waiting for the other to respond.  
  



	13. Getting the Truth

Broken Wings - XIII -   
Justin  
I appreciated Dr. Lee's help, and I certainly wasn't going to insist that he give up his brother for anything. I knew Seattle was upset about not being able to contact his brother immediately, but one thing I knew from dealing with Jhondie is that you have to be careful with things like this. The last thing I would want to do was to have the Chinese government jumping all over the doctor because some Americans were trying to get him to abandon the work he was doing for them and come over here. Seattle was just too hot-tempered to listen, and just because she knew about it didn't mean she could understand the seriousness of secret government operations. I wouldn't be able to understand if it weren't for all of my dealings with Jhondie.  
"Justin," Dr. Lee said. He looked like he was debating something very important. I sat back down and waited for him to talk. I didn't like the vibes I was getting. "My brother called me to consult on a case," he finally said. "It was a very unusual case, and I was going to contact you and Jhondie to discuss what he had said to me. Jhondie would be very interested in it."  
"Manticore?" I asked. Wasn't his brother working in China right now?  
"I do not know details of the project," he replied. "I do know he wanted more information about accelerated development of the brain. He was going to be doing a cochlear implant very soon on a child that is having gradual hearing loss due to unusual brain activity." He paused while that sank in. That didn't sound familiar did it? Bloody hell. If this kid was part of Manticore how did Seattle have her?  
"You know for sure your brother is in China?" I asked, needing all of the information I could get. This couldn't have anything to do with Manticore. There could be more than one genetic engineering project going on. It was possible.  
"He was in the United States when he called, but he had to take the child to China. He did not say why, but I gathered there was a great urgency in him leaving with the boy," Dr. Lee informed me. "He was leaving within the hour, and wanted to get the information I could send to him before he left. It would be easier for him to get it while he was here rather than wait until he was in China."  
"Was he really part of black-ops in China?" I asked.  
Dr. Lee nodded. "He never said so directly, but he is my brother and I know him well. I can hear what he does not say."  
A sudden thought hit me. What if he had worked with Manticore in the past? That would explain how he knew now about an American project and why he was called in to help out. I knew for certain then that I could not let Jhondie get involved. If he were a doctor that had done things to her, she wouldn't be able to control herself. She still had never really gone into detail about what had happened to her at Manticore on the medical side, but I could read between the lines. She hated Lydecker. She loathed the doctors there. Whatever had happened had been beyond intense. She'd kill the guy before he could get the chance to help Seattle.  
"If the boy he was helping has the same problems, maybe his research is still where he was," I said aloud.  
Dr. Lee thought about it for a second. "It is possible the child was being taken to China for the physical therapy facilities there after the surgery," he suggested.  
"Where did your brother call from?" I asked quickly.  
"He did not say," Dr. Lee replied sadly. That wasn't a problem for me. I had some great contacts of my own. I grabbed my cell and dialed a number. Nikki answered on the first ring. We knew better than to ignore calls when each other's numbers came up.  
"What's up?" she answered.  
"Nikki, need a favor," I said. She laughed.  
"Well, duh," she joked. "Hot story?"  
"Maybe," I replied. She thought I was just a garden-variety free-lance journalist. My own published stuff was biting, but nothing like what I did for the boss. She didn't know about Eye's Only and I was going to keep it that way. "Anyways," I continued. "I need to find the origination point of a phone call." I covered the mouthpiece of the phone and asked Dr. Lee about what time the call came in. He told me and I gave the time and Dr. Lee's address to her.  
"Okay," she said. I could hear her scribbling down the information in her notebook. She didn't have to worry about it ever being found and someone getting sensitive information off of it. Nobody could make sense out of her chickenscratch and cross-outs and circles with arrows. "I need to get with my people and I'll call you back when I have it."  
  
"You're a lifesaver," I said. She laughed.  
  
"I'll send you a bill." She would too. Trust me, she had done it before.  
  
"Get bent," I said with a smile. "Later." We hung up. I looked over at Dr. Lee.  
  
"I'll do everything I can to protect your brother," I told him, "but I have to know what's going on and if Jhondie is in any danger."  
  
He nodded. "That is why I told you all that I did."  
  
"I appreciate it," I said and stood. I needed to go hunt down Seattle. It went against my better judgment, but if there was a way I could help her get information that would help her friend than I was going to do it. I told Zack once that I was willing to help any of the Manticore kids, and he wasn't a guy I ever intended to lie to. If the little girl was connected to Manticore, then by default I was promised to help her. God help me if Jhondie ever found out I did this and didn't tell her. Ah hell, I'd just get some more grapes for her to steal.  
  



	14. Taking Out the Trash

Broken Wings - XIV -  
  
She smiled to herself as the plane lifted off. Eveything was running according to plan. That was exactly how she like it.  
  
A few rows ahead in the private jet, Jun was curled up in the seat in a deep drug-induced sleep. According to the staff doctor, Jun should be asleep for the entire trip. (He had better be right. If I end up with an enhanced toddler running around this airplane, that doctor will learn where my reputation really came from.)  
  
Dr. Lee was also on the plane. His nose was in a medical journal while his hand furiously scribbled notes on a legal pad. She shook her head. No matter how much they knew, it was never enough. The more they knew, the more questions they asked. The more questions they asked, the more it became clear to them how little they knew. Dr. Lee strived daily to obtain knowledge to reach a whimsical cause. And for what? For nothing. He would never be seeing the outside world again...not after he had worked for her. She wouldn't allow it.  
  
She flipped through the latest batch of surveillance and wire tap reports. Both were tedious and uneventful. She looked again, in fact, they were too uneventful. A slow grin spread across her face. Hitting what would have been a flight attendant call button on a regular flight, a soldier came immediately.  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Please bring Lieutenant Briggs to come see me."  
  
After a minute, he appeared. Closing the folder she was looking at, she patted the seat next to her.  
  
"Please, sit down David."  
  
Caught off guard, he slowly sat down.  
  
"Are you feeling better? That was quite the flu you had last week...came on so suddenly."  
  
He made eye contact with her and replied, "Yes, sir. It was very quick and I am feeling much better now."  
  
"Strange, these things." She said with a quizzical tone.  
  
"Was it a head cold?"  
  
"Yes, my sinuses were bothering me. Was there a reason you sent for me?"  
  
"Yes, I was just wondering how it came to be that a person who was sick would not have one dirty Kleenex in their trash."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
She shook her head at him disapprovingly. "Come, come now David. If I go through the trouble to check all of my staff and backers, don't you think I would check on you too?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"I must not have emptied my trash barrels. What exactly are you implying?"  
  
"No, there weren't any in your trash barrels in the house. There was no cough medicine in the medicine cabinet. In fact, you have hardly been home much at all? Where have you been David?"  
  
"With my girlfriend."  
  
"And what is her name?"  
  
"Tanya. What is this really about? Don't tell me you are going to try and live vicariously through my life just because you don't have one."  
  
The hesitation hadn't been more than a split second but she caught it.  
  
Again, she shook her head. "Not good David. Not good at all. You must not get defensive. Donald must have taught you that much."  
  
"Donald?"  
  
She sighed. "Ah yes, these games. I would love to play some more but I don't have the time." Her eyes narrowed and she looked at him. "The fact is that there were no tissues because you were not sick. In fact, you were not home. The only call you make from your home phone is once a week to your mother. Why? Because you make your calls from another one. Now, are you going to tell me what was in the surveillance reports that you left out?"  
  
"I didn't leave anything out!" His voice was firm but not desperate. "I don't know what you are trying to do but you are wrong. I have nothing to do with Lydecker. If you are done with your accusations, I have work to get back to."  
  
An icy hand on his arm stopped him. He could feel the steel grip and he heard her voice, almost in a whisper, close to his ear.  
  
"Now, you listen, and you listen well. I know you are the one who has been giving information to Lydecker and I will have it. You can tell me now or you can be made to tell when we get to the facility.  
  
He brought his face inches from hers and matched her tone.   
  
"I have nothing to tell."  
  
Her smile returned. She made a movement with her hand that he couldn't see and then waved her hand in the air as two guards came over. "We shall see...Guards, take Lieutenant Briggs into your custody. I would like him unconscious until we arrive at the facility and then he is to be brought to the interrogation room."  
  
She watched as the two guards took away a silent yet strong Lieutenant Briggs. It would be interesting to see how long he remained that way. Either way, she had found the leak and now, she had other plans for him. 


	15. Family Reunion

Broken Wings - XV -  
  
Max  
  
Part of me was telling me to shout for joy and embrace my brother. The other half wanted to beat him until he answered my question and got that smug expression off of his face. It was the usual reaction to Zack. Hands on my hips, I asked again. "What are you doing here?"  
  
His voice was a firm whisper. "I was passing through LA and saw you walking the street. What are you doing here Maxie?"  
  
His face was hard and unrevealing but I knew he was hiding something. Female intuition, sixth sense, feline curiosity, or all of the above. Who knew? All I knew was that Zack had classified something as need to know only and decided I did not need to know. Nothing irritated me more but I could play just as well as he could.  
  
"Just checking out the city and it's peeps."  
  
I could have sworn that his face paled for a minute before resuming its hardness. What was he not telling me?"  
  
"I don't believe you Maxie. Why are you really here?"  
  
"What are you hiding?"  
  
**********************   
  
Zack  
  
Max. Of all the people I was expecting to see in Los Angeles, Max was the last on the list. Her ability to be the wrong place at the wrong time staggers the mind. If she was with Logan, I could believe that she was having a cute little vacation, and not have to be on guard that she might run into the second biggest troublemaker I have to worry about. What is it about Eye's Only that turns soldiers into bleeding heart saps?  
  
"What are you hiding?" she asked me. Actually hissed at me. That wasn't nearly as important of a question as why she was spying on Justin. God, if Jhondie had disobeyed me and started looking for the others and Justin didn't keep his word and tell me, he wouldn't have to worry about getting killed for a story. I would do it for him.  
  
"You're out of your territory soldier," I said in a low voice, ignoring her question. "Your boyfriend decide to take you for a vacation?" As much as I didn't want to admit it, the thought of her having a sweet, romantic time with Logan felt like someone rubbing sandpaper over my skin and then pouring alcohol over it. It was just that Logan was a liability. Justin didn't bother me because he had proven he could handle himself. There wasn't anything emotional about it, no matter what anyone said. It was a preference based on past performances.   
  
"Girl's got to get around," she replied casually. "Isn't that right Mr. Stay On the Move?" She pursed her lips at me. "Why are you really here?"  
  
I wasn't any good at lying to Max. For some strange reason she brought out the honesty in me, some twisted little ethical code I thought long dissolved by years of training. It didn't mean I was going to tell her to truth though. She just needed to be distracted. Max was easily distracted, unlike the other sister here in LA. Once Jhondie got the scent of something, she never let it go. If she even suspected Max was here, there would be no separating them.  
  
"Syl had a problem I had to take care of," I replied. "LA is my restock point   
after taking care of her." If you can't lie to someone outright, you tell them a half-truth. It was like bouncing a shiny ball of tin foil across the floor. LA was my restock point. If I needed anything, I could get it, and ever since Kayla found out about Jhondie, I had a place to crash that didn't involve sleeping outdoors or in a dive so bad that the roaches don't even scatter when the lights come on. And Syl did have a minor problem. Easy to take care of, and then I wanted to come back here and check on Jhondie.  
  
I felt bad about Jhondie getting hurt. I was the one that insisted on driving and shooting while she finished breaking the security code so Justin could get the files he needed. It was a precision relay, and I got caught up in the moment. She and I were moving as a unit, each performing our respective functions as we made for a common goal. She was trying to get me to give her the gun while she was shouting on the cell phone and banging on the laptop. I refused. If she were distracted the mission wouldn't be completed. So, we got rid of our pursuers, but ended up with the car flipping. I shouldn't feel bad. She was the one who was there risking herself for nothing. But I was the one that flipped the car. It was irrelevant to the moment. I had to deal with Max and that took all of my capabilities.  
  
Max's face lit up for a moment. "Syl's here?" she asked excitedly.  
  
"She stays on the move," I replied pointedly. Max knew what I meant. Between her and Jhondie, I had all I could handle with X-5's wanting to stay stable in one location. I didn't get the chance to question her further. Justin broke off his conversation with the Asian guy he was talking to, and started to come out to his car parked in the alley. Max shot me a dirty look for making her miss Justin's conversation as I scrambled up and took off. The last thing I wanted was for Justin to question why I was with Max. If by some chance he didn't know, and I had a suspicion he didn't, it was better I not be seen with her. He and I were going to have a private conversation later about the whole deal. 


	16. Checking In

Broken Wings - XVI -  
  
Logan sighed. Max had only been gone for a few days but it seemed like an eternity. "Get a hold of yourself man." He chided himself. "At this rate, you'll be climbing the walls by the end of the week. That's not goig to bring us any closer to helping Nita."  
  
The sound of his phone ringing brought him out of his stupor.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Just checking in." Logan smiled. He had grabbed for the phone quickly, thinking it was Max. It wasn't. It was Greg.  
  
"Everything okay?" They had agreed not to mention names and details over the phone.  
  
"Fine. Just letting you know that we are home safe and sound."  
  
"Good to hear." Logan ran a hand through his uncombed hair. "I'll let you know when we hear anything."  
  
"Usual channels?"  
  
"Yes. Is that a problem?"  
  
"Not a problem. Talk to you soon."  
  
"Ok. Bye."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Logan put the phone down. Well, that was one thing off of the list. Greg and Amaliya had taken the kids home to Denver. Everyone agreed that they would be better off there than in Seattle where someone could recognize them. Now, he just needed Max to check in.  
  
He heard a key in the door followed by the sound of footsteps entering the apartment. There was only one person who had a key.  
  
"Hey Bli..." The greeting got caught in his throat as he saw Bling's face. Something wasn't right.  
  
"Have you seen this yet?" He held up a copy of the local newspaper. Logan shook his head.  
  
"You might want to read this."  
  
Logan took the paper, read the paragraph, and then read it again. He stared at   
Bling in disbelief.   
  
"Did you run that?" Bling asked.  
  
Again, Logan shook his head and focused his eyes on the writing.   
"Concerned father looking for information on his missing daughter. Call Eyes Only at..."  
  
"I don't recognize the phone number do you?" Logan asked Bling. It was his turn to shake his head.  
  
"Any idea what this is about?"  
  
"I have a few ideas but none of them are good." Logan wheeled over to his computer and picked up a small piece of equipment. He attached it to the phone.   
  
"There's only one way to find out."   
  
Bling looked at him. "Do you think that's wise?"  
  
"Maybe not but right now, I don't see any other option."  
  
Taking a breath, Logan hit the record button on an attached recorder, dialed the number, and waited for the other end to be picked up.   
  
"Hello?"  
  
"This is Eye's Only." Said his electronic voice.   
  
"Hold please."  
  
After a click, another voice came on the phone. "I thought you would call."  
Logan's stomach lurched as he heard the voice but fought to maintain his composure. "What do you want?"  
  
"To the point. I like that."  
  
"Why did you impersonate me?"  
  
"I need to give you information. Now shut your mouth and listen. I don't have much time."  
  
As Logan listened intently, Bling looked on with curiosity. His face asked the question, "Who is it?"  
  
Not wanting to interrupt the person on the other end or miss any of the conversation, he grabbed a piece of paper and wrote one word. "LYDECKER." 


	17. Confrontations

Broken Wings - XVII -  
  
  
Max caught Justin just as he was coming out of the building. Before he knew what was happening, he was dragged around the corner and into the alley. Her hands attached to his collar, she forced him against the wall.  
  
"Care to tell me what that was all about?" She hissed.  
  
He opened his mouth to reply while trying to push her back and found his position against the wall firmly re-established.  
  
"Don't talk to me!" She yelled, letting him go.  
  
She started walking away and then whipped back around.  
  
"Dr. Lee can't say anything when I'm there. He doesn't know anything. A few minutes later, he's pouring his heart out to you?!"  
  
Her eyes narrowed. "Or maybe you already knew and you were just keeping it from me? Trying to make an impression with Eye's Only by doing it yourself?"  
  
Justin had had enough from her. He didn't believe in hurting girls, but she was tempting him to rethink this philosophy. His defense mechanisms kicked in before his reason had a chance.  
  
"What, were you eavesdropping?"  
  
Her eyes flashed. "Maybe I was."  
  
Justin's face paled. All he could think of was Jhondie. She had been keeping things about Manticore a secret for years. Hell, after almost three together he only knew the mare minimum and now, it was quite possible that, in less than an hour, he had blown her cover.  
  
His breath caught in his throat but he forced himself to continue.  
  
"So, you heard everything we said, don't you have it all figured out?"  
  
He thought he saw her blink for a minute and her tone was quiet, almost demured. In fact, it was so quiet that he couldn't make out what she said.  
  
"What?" He challenged.  
  
She raised her tone and fixed her eyes on his.  
  
"I only heard the beginning." She said between clenched teeth. She was doing her best not to let her anger get the better of her. As it was, she was using a heroic amount of restraint. What she really wanted to do was to pick him up and kick his butt across the alley...repeatedly. She knew she couldn't. Not only would it be calling attention to certain abilities that she would rather not be public knowledge; she didn't want to have to explain to Logan why one of his most valuable informants was in the hospital.  
  
She thought she heard a sigh...something like a sigh of relief. He tried to hide it but she knew she heard something.   
  
"That's not why..." he started but once again found himself interrupted.  
  
"What the hell were you doing?" She demanded firmly, her eyes boring into his.  
  
Sensing an opportunity, Justin took a step forward and then moved to the side quickly to avoid her grasp. Silently, he was thankful for the time he spent with Jhondie. It was great experience for situations like this. After all, if he could defend himself from his genetically enhanced girlfriend when she was upset, he could handle some pissed off punk girl.  
  
"Listen to me..."  
  
He went to touch her shoulder but she moved away.  
  
"I don't want to hear anything you have to say."  
  
She backed away but he took a step forward and he tried again.   
  
"If you would just listen to me." He started, but she cut him off.  
  
"You've lied to me since I've been here and now you..."  
  
He sighed as she once again backed and lit into him again verbally. His mind was racing with what to do. He'd never seen someone so irrational when they were angry. Well, except for Jhondie, of course but there was no comparison between the two women. Thinking of Jhondie brought an idea to his mind. He took a deep breath and tuned back into what she was saying.  
  
"You've lied to me and now you think you can stand there and..."  
  
Letting the breath out he moved forward with a quick flash of speed that she wasn't expecting from a big guy. He grabbed her shoulders and held them firmly. His eyes blazed into hers as he matched her tone and raised his volume.  
  
"Listen to me." He demanded.   
  
Startled, she hesitated for a minute and he charged in while he had the chance.  
  
"I will tell you everything if you give me a chance. You have to give me a minute to explain."  
  
She looked at his hands, which were still holding her shoulders.  
  
Seeing that she had calmed down a bit, he slowly lowered his hands. Crossing her arms, she cocked her head.  
  
"Okay, tell me then."  
  
Before he could say anything, he heard the ringing of his cell phone. Keeping his eyes on her, he answered the phone. It was Nikki. 


	18. On Duty

Broken Wings - XVIII -   
  
Hanging up the phone, Miranda sighed. The resort was a great place to live. She loved seeing her family after being away for them for a year and thinking she would never see them again. As wonderful as things were, there were always times when she wished she were somewhere else. Now was one of those times.  
  
Amaliya was in the middle of trying to solve a kitchen dispute and Cassi was running around the resort by herself. Cassi "coming out of her shell" had caused a few trying times in the almost two years the resort had been open. There was the time that she had casually mentioned to a sheik that a member of his harem was being unfaithful. Then there was the time that she was about to tell a prince that he was not of the royal bloodline. Miranda had made it just in time to interrupt with some excuse and shoo Cassi away, avoiding an international incident.  
  
If it weren't for her "abilities" they wouldn't be concerned. Cassi was very competent and capable for her age. She was a big help to her family, when she kept her "feelings" to herself. It was for that reason that they made sure that either one of her parents or Miranda were with her at all times. Damage control was much easier if you could prevent an incident in the first place. With past incidents in mind, she hurried off to find her sister.  
  
Half way through the main lobby, she was forced to stop as a man waved a hand and started walking towards her. It was Senor Gonzalez, a young Hispanic businessman who had been a guest of the resort for a few months. Swallowing a sigh, she fixed a smile to her face as she waited for him to reach her. It wasn't that he wasn't a charming and interesting man. On the contrary, he was extremely polite and a great conversationalist. As much as she would love to sit and talk, Cassi had to be found.  
  
"Ah, Senorita." He greeted her as he finished his approach. "How are you doing this beautiful day?"  
  
Miranda smiled in spite of herself. She had never heard of a day that wasn't beautiful. If nothing else, Senor Gonzalez was a perpetual optimist.  
  
"I am fine Senor, she responded, trying not to sound preoccupied. "How are you." Her eyes swept the lobby.  
  
Her movement did not go unnoticed. "You look for something, no?"  
  
She tried to sound carefree. "It's nothing. I'm just..."  
  
He held up his hand to stop her, his head. "No, Senorita. You look for something. I can tell. What is it? I, Miguel Antonio Gonzalez, will help you find what you seek."  
  
"Senor Gonazelez, really. It's not..." She stopped abruptly as she was tapped on the shoulder.   
  
She turned to see Clancy there. She could feel her head spin. Why couldn't anything be simple? "Not now please, Mr. Clancy." She said rather briskly. As she turned back to Senor Gonzalez, she felt a hand on her elbow and she was roughly pulled aside.  
  
"Excuse us, Senor Gonzalez." He said curtly.  
  
A look of distaste flashed across Senor Gonzalez's face but he quickly replaced it with a sweet smile. "But, of course." He said and withdrew.  
  
With an apologetic smile, she nodded a farewell to Senor Gonzalez and turned to Clancy.   
  
Her eyes flashed as she spoke to him.   
  
"How dare you?" her voice came out in a fierce whisper.  
  
His face was a mixture of confusion and irritation.   
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"You do not interrupt me while I am speaking to a guest. Do you understand me?"  
  
Clancy set his face to control his emotions. He seldom lost his temper and he did not want the exception to his rule to be a woman, let alone his employer.  
  
"Miss Proust..." He tried but she cut him off.  
  
"Do you understand?" She repeated.  
  
"Yes, ma'am." He said in a subdued tone.  
  
"See that you remember that. If it happens again, you will need to seek other employment. We have a certain code of conduct that we expect to be kept with our customers and we will not tolerate rudeness."  
  
He seemed unmoved by this, which irritated her even more. Her eyes surveyed him dismissively. "Now, if you don't mind, Mr. Clancy, I need to go find my sister."  
  
Clancy moved to the side revealing Cassi standing behind him.  
  
"That is what I wanted to tell you." He said with a sigh. "Cassi came into the atrium and I figured you would be looking for her."  
  
Without looking at her, he turned and left the room, leaving Miranda with her mouth hanging open. 


	19. Unlikely Resources

Broken Wings - XIX -   
  
Logan looked at the notes he had taken from his conversation with Lydecker. He still couldn't believe it. He had gone through a whole range of emotions: shock, suspicion, frustration, outrage, but none of them seemed sufficient for his current situation.  
  
It was a fact. Donald Lydecker had contacted him. One of the people Max loathed the most was coming forward with information, claiming he wanted to help. Trying to look at thing objectively, Logan stared at the notes once again.  
  
Lydecker claimed that there was more to Miranda's situation than Max knew. Logan was a bit doubtful of that but put his thoughts aside and continued.  
  
Manticore wanted the child back. This wasn't a surprise. They would want to see if their experiment really worked.  
  
The last piece was not a surprise but it still jolted him. If Max had any contact with the girl, she could be putting herself in danger. Renfro would not hesitate to use the girl as bait if she thought she could get an X-5. Logan didn't doubt it. What he didn't understand was where Lydecker came into play in all of this and why he was trying to help. Logan had said as much during their conversation.  
  
.........  
  
"Haven't you been trying to get Max back to Manticore?"  
  
There was a pause on the other end.  
  
"Yes."  
  
So, they are working for you.  
  
"No." The answer was fast, firm, and laced with fury.  
  
"They aren't interested in my kids."  
  
Logan winced at the reference as Lydecker continued.  
  
"Renfro in only interested in the bottom line and how she can gain from it."  
  
"As long as you get the X-5's, why should Renfro's reasons matter?"  
  
"Let's just say that she no longer felt that my services were essential."  
  
"So, she got rid of you and now you want to use Max to exact revenge against her?"  
  
"No." H e sounded like he would lose his patience but his voice continued cool and clear. "I want to warn you that Max may not realize the danger she has put herself in by befriending Miss Cosgrove. This goes beyond Manticore. Renfro has backers from various countries and more waiting in line. They have people all over the globe who are keeping their eyes open for signs of this girl...and Max."  
  
"So that's it? Stay away from the girl and Max will be safe? I'll be sure to pass the message along to Max if I see her." He said it as a dismissal but Lydecker wasn't finished.  
  
"No. If Max does know where the girl is, she won't stay away because of danger. She wasn't trained that way. That's why I am talking to you."  
  
Logan raised an eyebrow but remained silent.  
  
"If nothing else, you can keep an eye on them and be prepared."  
  
.........  
  
Lydecker had continued on to tell him about certain informants that were connected to the backers and therefore, to Renfro. He also gave him a list of scheduled contact dates and locations.  
  
Logan fingered the list. The next one was only two days away...in Los Angeles. He couldn't risk telling Max yet. She would want to rush over there and check it out. What if it was a trap? Max wouldn't care but he did. Making his decision, he began to type his message to LA. 


	20. Information ala Attitude

Broken Wings - XX -  
  
Justin  
  
"Do you have any idea what you were asking me for?" Nikki asked the minute I answered, ignoring my curt 'hello'. She was used to me being brisk with her on the phone when I was in the middle of something hot. To be fair, when she was in the middle of something, she would be cursing like a sailor and jumping up and down a lot.  
  
I didn't take my eyes off of Seattle. She was far too irrational for my tastes, and obviously had very little clue what we were dealing with. I had never been so grateful in my life to hear anyone say that she had missed part of the conversation. I had never killed anyone in my life before, but to protect Jhondie...it was better to talk to Nikki that follow that line of thought.  
  
"All I wanted was ten digits," I replied casually, not giving away anything. Seattle was looking at me strangely, with her head cocked ever so slightly. I wouldn't have noticed it, but that was how Jhondie looked when she was using her super-hearing.  
  
Nikki blew out a breath. "Ten digits," she muttered. "Just like that time I needed a security code to the LA Times' printing office. Well, here's the payback for that one, buddy." Damn, what was going on there?  
  
"The call originated from Roswell, New Mexico," she informed me. "But get this, I only know that because of the traps near the city lines." I'm sure that meant something important to her. I'd ask Dink about it later.  
  
"You don't know specifically where?" I asked. Roswell was a good start, but there were still a hell of a lot of places to look, and that would waste time a little girl didn't have.  
  
"I think that it's from a government location," she replied, sounding annoyed. Nikki hated for anything to show her up. "Listen, this is just the initial stuff. It's going to take me a few more hours to get the scrambling decoded and find out an exact location."  
  
"You are a lifesaver," I said gratefully.  
  
"Yeah, well, you're not going to be so nice if I have to go through a certain person to find the address. You want it that bad if I have to go last resort?" I winced, knowing what she was talking about. The guy was great, but he was expensive as hell. I had set up an account a year before that Nikki and a couple of other people had access to in case emergency funds were needed. This guy would clean it out if needed. I looked at Seattle. This could be Manticore. It wasn't just a little girl. Jhondie could be in danger too.  
  
"I don't care who you have to pay what to," I replied. "I need that address."  
  
"I'll have it in the morning," she replied, and then hung up.   
  
"We know the doctor was in Roswell, New Mexico at last contact," I said to Seattle immediately. "My informant is going to be getting back with the exact address by morning."  
  
She was quiet for a minute. I took the advantage while I had it. "Listen," I said quietly, "I have every intention of helping you, but there's a lot at stake here, and I'm not going to risk a lot of other people for what could be a wild goose chase."  
  
Her dark eyes narrowed. "You want to duck out, just say the word. I can do this on my own."  
  
I choked back a laugh. "Sure. You really think you can break into a government installation, and back out again without any help at all? Oh, and without my help, you're not going to know where to start looking in Roswell."  
  
"Ever hear of Area 51?" she asked, giving me a look that clearly said "you are idiot". "Something foul going down, you know it's got to be there."  
  
"I said I would help," I reiterated. I smiled a bit and imitated her speech. "Something foul going down, I'm all over it."  
  
That got a tiny little laugh from her. I was going to need her to find out more about the kid and her connection to Manticore. For some reason a truce had just seemed to form between us.  
  
"So now we wait on your...informant?"  
  
"Yeah, she said it was going to be morning before she had what we need." I thought about asking her if she wanted to meet LAX, and then scratched that. Jhondie was probably at home, and I didn't want to explain to her mother who I was bringing home for Jhondie to meet. Besides, I didn't think it would be wise for them to get together. Even with a broken leg, Jhondie would still mess Seattle up if she didn't lose the 'tude quickly.  
  
"Okay, then we'll meet in the morning," she said.  
  
"The boss get you a place set up to stay tonight?" I asked. For some reason she smirked a little when I referred to him as "the boss". For a brief second I wondered if maybe she knew him in person. Nah. He would never reveal himself to a punk kid like her.  
  
"Yeah, hooked me up in some uptown crib for the night," she replied.  
  
"Why don't I take you there, and as soon as I get the call back, I'll call you and we'll get moving," I suggested. She eyed me suspiciously for a moment.  
  
"Let's blaze." 


	21. Stir Crazy

Broken Wings - XXI -  
  
Jhondie  
  
"For my own reasons, I would prefer that you not tell S about this meeting, and find out whatever you can by yourself," I read aloud from the message the boss had just sent. Justin was still out on the town with Seattle, and I was stuck at his apartment. Fine. He wants to play like this; I'll just play back.  
  
I quickly typed a return message. "E, this is LAX. LA is keeping S busy right now, so don't worry about him. I'll check out the meeting and report." I paused and added another line. Eye's Only doesn't reply back unless he has a question, and I didn't want to have Justin find out he had sent a message at all. The boss would ask, so I added "And I am getting the cast off tomorrow, so that isn't a problem. It isn't nearly as bad as LA made it out to be."  
  
I sent it, and then did a little test, standing and putting weight on my leg. It hurt some, and I knew that high jumps were still out of the question for a few more days at the very least, but I could stand and walk. I'd been practicing the last couple of days when Justin wasn't around. He would have given birth to a litter of kittens if he knew I was doing that. The cast was coming off tomorrow no matter what though. I was tired of it, and if Dr. Lee wouldn't do it, I would get a saw and do it myself. I'd had casts removed before, and knew how it was done.  
  
There are certain times when having a photographic memory is the best. I memorized the time and location of the meeting and then deleted the e-mail, making sure it was permanently deleted, just in case Justin did more poking around than normal. He was going to be furious if he found out, but I was just going to make sure he didn't. He was the one that decided to keep me out of the loop; he was going to learn what it felt like. Maybe. With a little luck, he wouldn't ever know about it. If he was willing to tell me about Seattle and the three of us get into the game, then I would let him know about this little bit.  
  
The phone rang, and I answered it. It was for me anyways. "Hi mom," I answered, rolling my eyes. She had fought to keep me from coming back over here after Justin had dumped me off, but I managed. You would think that between the two, they would know that I am quite capable of taking care of myself. Even with a bad leg, I was still more of a threat than either of them could be.  
  
"Jhondie," Mom answered. "I just wanted to check on you."  
  
"I am fine Mother," I replied, not able to keep the exasperation out of my voice. "I am sitting here in front of the computer with my leg propped up like a good girl, doing some research for Organic Chemistry like I said I was." I was, but in a different kind of way. More of mental chemistry between human organisms.  
  
"And Justin is?" she persisted.  
  
"Meeting with a contact about an article he's writing, just like I said he was," I answered, feeling like I was fifteen instead of twenty.  
  
"Since he's out, why don't I have Kayla come over there and keep you company?" she suggested.  
  
"No!" I didn't mean to shout it, but that's the way it came out. Kayla would want to help, and I swear if Justin let her help out with Seattle, and still tried to keep me away, I would kill the lot of 'em. "I mean," I recovered, "I am trying to do homework, and she would just be bored watching me since I'm on the computer."  
  
She sighed, but I held firm. "All right," she finally said. "Call me if you need anything."  
  
I promised I would, and then hung up. I pulled up a map of the city, and found the meeting site. This was going to be interesting, and I really wanted Justin there. My mouth firmed. He was the one that got me into liking doing this kind of work, even if my calling in life was in another field. He wasn't going to try and edge me out now, and if he tried, he was going to learn just how sneaky and devious a Manticore mind can be. 


	22. Big Brother is Watching

Broken Wings - XXII -   
Justin  
  
Dealing with Seattle was going to be like using explosives. I decided this on the way to her hotel. Useful, and even a little cool, but be very, very careful. Novices need not apply. She seemed a little more at ease now that she knew I was going to help in every way possible. I was going to do everything but let Jhondie get involved. Granted, she would be the best resource as far as getting into a secured location, but I knew her. She didn't let things go.  
  
"So," I said, trying to make some civil conversation. "You've been working for the boss long?"  
  
"He's not my boss," she retorted quickly, and not without a little arrogance. She smirked. "I help him; he helps me in a little project. It's a quid pro quo thing." She paused, and then decided to try the civil route as well. "You been around a while?"  
  
"A while," I replied. "You know how it goes. Too young and dumb to know what I was really getting myself into, and when I did...then it was too fun to get out of." I also at that point had a genetically engineered partner that made things way more interesting. If it wasn't for her, I might not still be working for Eye's Only, but she always kept things in high gear. And there was the off chance that she would one day consent to telling him who and what she was and seeing if he could help with that whole being hunted thing.  
  
She grinned for real. She was rather pretty when she wasn't trying to be a smart-alecky street punk out-toughing the guys. "So how did you get your girl into this mess?" she asked. "Don't know many girls jumping into something like this just for their man."  
  
I laughed. Jhondie had jumped into this. Literally. "Actually, it was blackmail," I replied. She looked interested. "Long story," I said dismissively. "But she got even when she blackmailed me into doing something for her, and then a few years later, here we are." That got a little laugh out of Seattle.  
  
We pulled up in front of her hotel a minute later. I thought about offering to do dinner with her or something. Chances were that she didn't know much about LA or knew anyone here. I nixed the idea quickly. I was not going to get away from talking to Jhondie that easily. Delaying the inevitable was only going to give her more time to think up what she was going to do to me. And it wasn't going to be something I was going to like.  
  
"See you later!" Seattle said, hopping out of the car. I popped the trunk and let her get her overnight bag, and she bounded off with that stride that eerily reminded me of Jhondie again.  
  
I grinned and drove off, heading to my apartment. I had no doubt that Jhondie was waiting for me there even though I had taken her back to her mother's. If I was lucky then she didn't pull the stunt she did last time she was mad at me and had my bedroom wallpaper redone in roses and blue ribbon with pink hearts on them. It was embarrassing as hell when I came over with a couple of the guys from the gym that night and she had doilies everywhere and cute little hand towels with baby ducks and piglets in the bathroom with a copy of Glamour and Vogue. She even remembered guest soaps. Try explaining that to guys who you showered with. She wouldn't tell me how she had done it all in less than twelve hours either.  
  
I changed lanes and swerved around some traffic at high speeds in the usual LA fashion. People that are cautious drivers end up getting killed. We have no use for them since all they do is block up the people that know how to drive in LA. I hit the onramp for the freeway and accelerated, cutting off a semi in the process. He honked, and gave me the finger. God I love this city. And that was when a hard voice spoke up from the backseat.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?"  
  
It took me a second to respond. I first had to peel myself off of the roof of the car, and then stop that odd swerving that happens when you let go of the steering wheel so that you can peel yourself from the ceiling. I got the car back under control without being shot at as my heart attempted to restart after being vapor locked. The last thing I was expecting was to hear my girlfriend's brother pipe up from the back seat of my car.  
  
I glanced back. "Trying to not kill us in a car accident, Zack," I replied. From the way his lips tightened slightly, I had hit him harder than I intended. He was still a little upset over the accident with Jhondie. "What the hell do you think I'm doing?"  
  
He slid into the front seat of the car with an oily grace that was very distinct to X-5's. Well, it was to Jhondie and Zack at least. Zack had on his favorite expression. It said that he was barely tolerating the situation, and it better change very quickly. I was usually rather confused when he had it, and Jhondie would roll her eyes a lot. It had a lot to do with being the X-5 CO, and since I wasn't X-5, I tended to be rather confused. There was a lot about Manticore I still didn't know, but they seemed to be able to share a thought with just a look or a movement. It was rather strange and possibly one of the reasons that I agreed with Zack on his separation policy. Too many of them together would drive a mere mortal insane.  
  
"I want to know right now what is going on with my sister," he demanded. Ah, hell. The last thing I needed was getting a royal a$$ whipping from a brother thinking I was fooling around on his sister. Denise's brothers I could handle. Jhondie's brother would turn me into paste without breaking a sweat. I wished someone had warned me to date girls that were only children. Oh well, a little late for that now.  
  
"Stand down soldier," I said firmly, holding up a hand while trying to keep my eyes on Zack and the road at the same time. Neat trick if you can accomplish it. I was failing dismally. "The only thing I'm doing that your sister wouldn't approve of is not letting her tag along with a broken leg. Seattle is just a fellow employee like you must have heard, so don't get all stressed on me."  
  
The oddest expression crossed Zack's face before he clamped back down. They must have added clam DNA to his mix. "Seattle?" he questioned.  
  
"It's been three years and Eye's Only still only knows us as LA and LAX," I said with a little smile. "I am careful, remember?" Zack had admitted that once, albeit grudgingly. He seemed to relax a little, but with Zack, having a stick up the rear was relaxed.  
  
"Jhondie's not part of this...assignment from him?" he asked me. The concerned brother had just shown up. He had been here more than normal over the last month. Actually him showing up twice in a month was amazing. Twice in a year was more like it. Maybe he would be able to talk her into taking it easy until she was better. I certainly couldn't.  
  
"I'm trying to get her to let her leg heal," I replied with a frustrated sigh. "But you know her." I thought for a second. "Besides, I just spent the last few hours with Seattle. Trust me, those two would kill each other."  
  
A rare event occurred. A slight smile edged Zack's mouth. He nodded. "That's good," he remarked casually. Which part was good though? Something was slightly left of center. Instinct was on high alert, but questioning Zack was like asking Cody what the deal was. You got an arrogant noise and then a back turned to you with nose in the air.  
  
"So," I said, "is there anyone else's car you need to sneak into to give them a heart attack, or can I take you to Jhondie?"  
  
He looked out the window. "I'll see Jhondie later," he said. "Got some things to do first. Let me out at the next exit."  
  
A mile up the road I pulled over at a defunct gas station and he climbed out. I wondered what the things were that he was going to do. There was another X-5 in the city, I thought immediately. That's why he's really here. He knows Jhondie is fine, but there's someone else he's worried about. That made sense. I smiled. Zack was good, but this journalist was very good with putting the pieces together to make the story.  
  
"Zack," I called out, getting out of the car. It worried me a little that he would be bringing an X-5 to LA. There shouldn't be two in a city. If he had one here, it meant they were passing through unexpectedly, or they were in trouble. Zack wouldn't ask for help, but he had been known to take it if offered.  
  
Zack paused and turned around to face me as I came around the car. "Listen," I said, "If you need papers or anything to get the X-5 out of here, let me know."  
  
I wasn't expecting his next move. One second he was standing there, and the next I was pinned against the car, Zack grabbing my shirt, his eyes blazing into mine. "What do you know about another X-5?" he snapped at me. Was there a sign on my forehead that said 'please attack me' today?  
  
"I haven't seen anyone and I know Jhondie hasn't either," I said calmly. How many people in the world can get attacked by a trained assassin and not freak out? Pretty few. Still not fun though. Jhondie wouldn't do anything to intentionally hurt me. Zack was a whole different story. "But you're too on edge to just be checking up on Jhondie."  
  
He let me go and stepped back as if trying to refute that idea. I straightened my shirt, and then added, "You should know I'm not going to say anything to Jhondie. But obviously something bad happened for you to risk a second X-5 in LA. If you need Jhondie out of here for a few days or something, just let me know."  
  
Zack smirked. "I thought you had work to do."  
  
"Between what Seattle wants and what Jhondie needs, there's not a contest," I replied.  
  
He gave me a curt nod, and then turned, heading down the road. I got back in my car, and headed back onto the freeway, catching a glimpse of him disappearing in my rearview mirror. There was a lot I didn't understand about the whole Manticore deal, and what possessed them to do different things. What I did know was that I was part of it, no matter what Jhondie or Zack wanted to think. As to whatever was going on with Seattle and the little girl, if it was Manticore too, then that made me part of it, regardless. I headed to my apartment, ready to do battle again today. I was so going to bed early tonight. 


	23. Night Terrors

Broken Wings - XXIII -  
  
Miranda ran through the lobby in a panic. She could feel the goose bumps that had begun to cover her body. There was no way to shake the foreboding. Nita was in trouble but she didn't know who was after her. The danger felt like it was all around her. It was close. Someone was close...at the resort close.  
  
Reaching out, she opened the door nearest to her. It was a conference room set with tables. In a corner of the room, she saw two figures. As she crept closer, she could see their faces. It was Clancy and Senor Gonzalez.  
  
The two men did not speak but glared at each other in a silent battle of wills. As if on cue, they turned to face her.  
  
The force of the two looks caused her to stumble back through the doors. Once again in the lobby, she felt the shadows closing in around her. She heard words over and over in her head.  
  
"I want them and you can not have them."  
  
It was the same thought but two distinct voices - those of the two men seated at the table. She felt like the breath was being taken from her body with every word. Then, the falling began. She didn't seem to be moving but she felt as if there was some gigantic black hole swallowing her.   
  
Slowly, a hand cut through the cloud of darkness that was enveloping her. It was followed by a face...a girl's face. The face was kind yet determined at the same time. She clasped Miranda's hand with a remarkably strong grip and held it firmly.  
  
"You can trust him." She whispered gently.  
  
As she heard the words, Miranda felt the air come back into her lungs. She opened her mouth to ask a question and felt herself choke and gasp in the shock that accompanied the continuation of breathing.  
  
Her eyes snapped open and her hand clutched at her chest where her lungs were still trying to recover from the lack oxygen.  
  
"Who? Which one?" she gasped.  
  
No one answered. She closed her eyes, wishing she could fall back into the dream and find out the answers to her questions...to see the girl again and find out what she was talking about.  
  
Even as she made the wish, she knew it was impossible. It was the nature of her dreaming. Her dreams gave her bits and pieces but never the whole picture. It was up to her to put the puzzle together.  
  
She walked into the next room where Nita was still sleeping and ran her hand over the sleeping child's hair. Nita was in danger from one of those men but she had no idea which one it was. She couldn't toss them both out of the resort because it seemed that the other was supposed to help her. How was she to know which one was which?  
  
A chill swept through her body as the vulnerability of her position hit her. She knew what a wrong step would mean on this one. She couldn't bear to face the consequences.  
  
Wiping tears from her face, she crawled into bed beside Nita and drew the child close against her. Then she began to pray that she would find out the truth before it was too late. 


End file.
